International Opportunities
The Design course offers opportunities for students to engage with design work in developing countries, working alongside local people to create design outcomes to help meet their everyday needs and to provide income from small business ideas.
Over the last few years undergraduates, post-graduates and PhD students from the Design course have taken part in the international volunteering opportunities offered by the university and have helped to design and build three playgrounds as well as develop solar water heating systems for the Kaliandra Foundation in Indonesia.
In 2009 and 2010, Design students from all levels of the course, took part in field trips to The Gambia where they worked with local people to co-design solar ovens using recycled waste materials from tourist hotels, designed and implemented rocket stoves to reduce fuel consumption and engaged with local craft techniques to design textile products.
The course is working to create future opportunities for students to study and work in developing countries to create design outcomes that make a real difference to people lives.
Optional study trips abroad are organised within the course, recent trips have been to Poland, New York, Barcelona, Prague, Cuba and Milan with a planned trip to Amsterdam in 2011.
The course offers student exchange opportunities for study in Europe. We have partnerships with four European Union Institutions in Italy, Finland and Poland, we even have links with a university in Japan where several students have managed to secure an extra year's study.
The course is popular with overseas students, so you may find yourself working alongside students from all over Europe.